Restaurant Bans Kids Younger than 6 Years Old

By: Audrey Morrison

A 68-seat restaurant in a town about 15 miles east of Pittsburgh, Pa., is making headlines across the country after the owner emailed patrons telling them their young children are no longer welcome in his establishment.

Effective Saturday, children under six years old will be banned from McDain's Restaurant in Monroeville.

"If I had children of these ages I would never contemplate taking them to this place," Owner Michael Vuick explained to MSNBC. "We've never even had a children's menu."

According to McDain's website, the atmosphere is upscale, quiet and casual and was originally opened in 2002 to serve as a "19th hole" for golfers finishing up a round at the adjacent McDain's Golf Center.

Vuick claims the reason for the ban "is a three-part issue"— a growing number of babies that can't be expected to be quiet, slightly older children with "increasingly poor manners" and parents who are uncooperative when it comes to controlling their children—and that it actually stemmed from customer complaints.

Since Vuick sent the email about the change in policy, he says the majority of the 400 or so responses he's received have been positive and even thanked him for keeping unruly children from the restaurant.

That's not to say every customer is on board with McDain's newly restricted clientele.

Stephanie Kelley,mother of a 13-month-old and regular McDain's patron sounded off to Pittsburgh TV station WTAE.

"I can't believe this. I am offended," Kelly vented. "This is just an ignorant policy."

Vuick suspects business will take a hit because of people who feel the same way as Stephanie Kelley, but he could be wrong. In 2010, the owner of Olde Salty's in North Carolina posted a "screamingchildren will not be tolerated" sign in her restaurant and later reported an increase in sales.